The European Brass Band Association has confirmed that Philip Sparke's 'A Road Less Travelled' will be the set-work for the Championship Section bands at the 2024 EBBC in Palanga.

The three-movement work was initially published and issued to bands that qualified for the proposed 2020 Championships which were cancelled due to Covid-19.

Narrative poem

Although there is no programmatic theme, the title and appreciation by the composer is taken from the final lines of the narrative poem 'The Road Not Taken' published in 1915 by American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963).

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The composition is cast in three movements: I. Moto Perpetuo, II. Nocturne (in which the soloists are featured in elaborate solos and ensembles), and, III. Scherzo Finale.

Traditional values

Speaking about the work in 2020, the composer simply stated: "I've tried to keep the emphasis on 'traditional' brass band values, both in the writing and scoring."